Never Let Me Go
by Haunted Harlequin
Summary: Sequel to Miscommunication! When Alec's extended family come to visit, how will the boys survive? rated M for language and some violence in later chapters. please R&R
1. Ice Cream

**Here it is! The long awaited sequel to Miscommunication :) If you haven't read Miscommunication then it's not essential, but you probably should anyway! Enjoy, and I'll see you on the other side x**

**Oh, and I don't own these characters blah blah blah. And this is slash. Don't like, don't read.**

**Never Let Me Go**

**Chapter 1. Ice Cream.**

It was a wonderful sunny day, and to celebrate their reconciliation the previous week, Magnus had cleared his schedule for the whole day to spend with his gorgeous boyfriend.

He had arrived on the steps of the Institute uncharacteristically early that morning (Alec had been too tired to walk to the apartment after a particularly grueling training session with Jace last night). A huge hamper dangled from one of his arms, bursting with delicious snacks and held shut by a stripy blanket wedged between the handle and the lid.

Jace was the one to open the door, barely glancing at Magus before retreating back to what Magnus assumed was the Institute's gym.

He frowned, as superior as Jace acted, he rarely just ignored the charismatic warlock, preferring to shoot some sarcastic comment about his precious glitter which, Magnus had to admit, were quite fun to counter with some equally witty remark about over-compensating.

As he passed the door that Jace had disappeared through, however, all his confusion was cleared when he heard high-pitched giggling coming from inside.

Rolling his eyes, Magnus continued up the stairs to Alec's room. _Dear Lilith_, he thought, _if me and Alec are that sickening, please strike me down now!_

Not pausing to knock, Magnus breezed into the bedroom, dumping the heavy wicker basket onto the floor. Straightening up, he caught sight of Alec sprawled on the bed, pale skin bathed in the golden rays streaming in through the curtain-less window.

Totally captivated by the angel before him, Magnus glided to the bed, sinking onto the mattress, completely content to just sit and watch his Alec sleep.

Alec awoke to the feeling of warm fingertips brushing his brow, playing with the tangled ebony locks where they had flopped during the night.

He was so relaxed, and the touch was so gentle, Alec never wanted it to end. It was a stolen moment, perfect an unmarred by the chaos of his daily life.

But eventually, the need to move overcame Alec, and he blinked, quickly screwing his eyes up against the harsh sunlight.

"Hey sleeping beauty" came the sultry voice that Alec had longed to hear.

An hour later, and Alec and Magnus were in the park, lying on the multi-coloured blanket and eating honey sandwiches that Magnus had lovingly prepar . . . . all right, _snapped _into existence that morning.

"So you realise that it's been a whole week since we last argued?" said Magnus casually as he lay, head on Alec's stomach, finding shapes in the candy floss cloudy above them.

"Really?" Alec replied lazily, levering himself up onto his elbows to look down into Magnus' eyes. "And how do you want to celebrate that?" he smiled mischievously, his vivid baby blues lighting up.

How could Magnus resist that?

His met Alec's with a little too much force, but that didn't matter to either of them at all. Their tongues battled in a dance that was as old as the stars, and all that mattered was that they were together.

Until Magnus broke off suddenly, squealing in, what Alec hoped was, delight.

"What is it Magnus?" he asked impatiently, more than a little peeved at being interrupted during what was quickly becoming his favourite activity.

"Look!" exclaimed Magnus "ice cream!" Alec followed where Magnus was pointing and yes, there was a pink and yellow Mr Whippy van making it's way towards them.

"Would you like an ice cream Magnus?" Alec was using the tone that particularly patronising adults used when talking to seven year olds.

"Yes!Yes!Yes!" cried Magnus, clapping his hands excitedly, oblivious to the strange looks that passers by were giving the effervescent warlock.

"Okay then, let's go get ice cream" said Alec, reverting to his normal voice. To be honest, he thought it was adorable the way Magnus still got so excited by little things like ice cream. It reminded him of Max.

Shaking his head to dispel the black cloud settling on his shoulders, Alec ran to catch up with Magnus.

As they walked back back from the van, clasped hands swinging between them, Alec glanced happily across at Magnus and was surprised to see an all-too-familiar pout gracing the handsome features of his sparkly boyfriend,

"What's up?" he asked, trying to keep his tone light.

"What didn't you get an ice cream Alec?"

"Well . . . I'm not a big fan of ice cream actually . . ."

"What!" exclaimed Magnus, nose scrunching in confusion. "How can you not like ice cream?" he wailed, stopping dead in his tracks and swinging Alec around to face him, staring at him in disbelief.

"It's really cold and I always get brain freeze" reasoned Alec.

Magnus nose crunched even further and, after several seconds of obviously very intense thinking, he almost shouted "Got It!"

"What?"

"Well, you don't like ice cream because it's cold right?"

Alec nodded warily, he'd seen that look in Magnus' eyes before, it meant that Magnus was planning something, and it rarely ended well for Alec.

"Well what if there was a way to feed you it so that it wasn't cold?"

"What are you talking about Magnus? Ice cream is always cold, that's why it's called -"

Whilst Alec had been talking, Magnus had licked a big mouthful of ice cream and then caught Alec in a sticky, open-mouthed kiss, pushing the half-melted vanilla slush into his mouth and sharing the delicious flavour of a Mr Whippy ice cream with him.

After what felt like hours, they pulled apart, gasping for air and wearing identical Cheshire cat grins.

"So how do you like ice cream now?" asked Magnus, licking his lips.

"Love it!" answered Alec, still slightly dizzy.

**I'm back baby! Wooooo! I know that this is a really pointless chapter, so pointless that it could almost be a one-shot. But I'm going away on holiday this afternoon and I didn't want to leave you guys with nothing for a whole week! And also, there was next to no fluffiness in Miscommunication, and I thought the boys deserved some before what's coming at them.**

**On the plus side, a whole week in the middle of nowhere gives me unlimited time to write more chapters. Yay!**

**So please please please review, it means so much to me and chairman meow :)**

**Love you all! See you the monday after next, when I promise that I will be posting chapter 2 xxx**

**Haunted Harlequin x**


	2. A Rude Awakening

**Here it is, Chapter 2 . . . I hope you enjoy, and I'll see you on the other side :)**

Chapter 2. A Rude Awakening.

Ring!Ring!Ring!

The harsh trill woke Alec up with a start. Groaning he rolled over from where he was cuddled up against Magnus to grab his phone from the bedside table.

His moving around woke Magnus up too, but only enough to shift slightly and grab at Alec's back to entice him back under the covers. It worked, Alec could hardly resist, so before answering the offending electronic device, he scooted back over to Magnus, who wrapped one arm around his waist, whilst the other hand snaked into his crazy bad-hair.

Despite this delicious distraction, Alec glanced at the at the caller ID before flipping it open pressing it to his ear, his eyes sending Magnus a deadly warning.

'Institute' he mouthed.

"Hello?"

_Alexander,_ came the stern voice of his mother, _I have just received word that your father has deemed it necessary to bring his mother and sister to the Institute, since apparently the corrupting influences of the mundane and downworlder communities seem to be too much for us to handle on out own. They're on their way right now._

"What!" Alec was outraged. How could his father be so . . . so . . . old-fashioned . . . bigoted . . . naive . . . interfering . . . so true to the shadowhunter tradition of narrow-mindedness and fear of difference.

He hated his extended family.

"Awww . . . Mum, it's really early . . . maybe I should just stay here" Alec moaned, sounding whiny and petulant even to himself, not really hopeful, but willing to give anything a shot if it meant getting out of meeting the dreaded Aunt Veronica and Grandmother Petulia.

_I'm sorry darling, but you'll have to see them at some point, and Petulia will only be worse if she thinks you've slighted her by not being there to welcome them._

Alec sighed, he knew his mother was right, but still . . .

"All right, but I'm bringing Magnus."

_Alexander . . ._

"No mum, I've spent the last eighteen years miserable and lonely when they visit, and I'm not going through that again."

_Oh Alexander, you know that I fully support your relationship with Magnus, despite my initial concerns, I can see that he makes you happy. But Petulia and Veronica, unfortunately like most . . ._

"I don't care Mum, I love Magnus more than anything, and I'm not going to just deny his existence because my so-called family, not including you and Jace and Izzy, can't deal with that" Alec said defiantly, catching Magnus' eye as he did.

For his part, hearing Alexander saying those things felt like his beautiful boy was reaching into his heart and plucking on his heartstrings as if they were harpstrings. A delightful ache.

He couldn't hear what Maryse was saying, but whatever it was, it had Alec all tensed up, and Magnus couldn't be having with that, especially after all the wonderful things he had just been saying. Nevertheless, he knew that Alec still found it difficult with his family, so, putting aside all thoughts of mischief, he settled for stroking those ebony locks and whispering softly into the delicate ear hidden beneath them.

_So that's final. Be back here in less than half an hour, or I shall be forced to reconsider allowing your 'sleepovers' to continue._

Alec bit back a snarky comment about how infrequent the 'sleepovers' actually were, especially considering how many times Izzy had been almost caught sneaking back into the Institute at three in the morning. His being sarcastic would only make a strained situation worse.

Besides, his mother had been incredibly understanding, all things considered. Much more understanding than his father, not that Alec had ever expected him to be.

So he just said "yeah", and snapped the phone shut.

It was remarkable how quickly they got moving and shaking, all things considered, and Alec was proud of Magnus, who hadn't complained once about being dragged out of bed so early and only being allowed 20 minutes to get ready, including a shower.

He was in their bedroom ( Alec still had to suppress insane giggling when he thought of it as their bedroom ) now, getting ready as Alec wolfed down a slice of toast and an orange juice.

Suddenly, there was a very loud crash, followed by several muttered curses. 'Magnus must have tripped over something' mused Alec, washing down the last of his toast and depositing the dirty plate and glass in the sink. It was strange though, Magnus was usually very graceful and co-ordinated, even when pulling on his sinfully tight jeans.

Brushing the crumbs off his lap, Alec went to investigate. He certainly wasn't expecting what he found.

Magnus had indeed fallen over, but he hadn't moved from where he sat, surrounded by a sea of colourful clothes. As Alec got closer, he could see his boyfriend's shoulders shaking minutely and hear the quiet sniffles.

"Magnus?" he called gently, hurrying to his side, wanting, _needing_ to comfort him. But once he was there, he felt strangely helpless.

"What's wrong Mag?" he asked as he stroked the freshly washed hair. It was at this point that Chairman Meow also added his support - crawling into his owner's la and nuzzling his limp hand.

When the tiny cat looked back at Alec, his blazing green eyes were accusatory, seeming to blame Alec for Magnus' state.

"What?" muttered Alec under his breath "I don't know what's wrong any more than you do."

Chairman only blinked.

Alec sighed, redirecting his attention back to Magnus.

"Mag? Baby, please tell me what's wrong."

"It's stupid" wailed the warlock , bursting into a fresh wave of tears, "you'll think I'm an idiot."

"Magnus" sighed Alec, moving so he was crouching right in front of his boyfriend and waiting until he had locked gazes with those beautiful green-gold eyes before continuing. "I will never think you're an idiot. Ever. I love you."

Magnus seemed to draw strength from those words, and, in one breath, rushed out -

"I''lljustembarrassyou"

It took Alec a few moments to process what exactly it was that Magnus had said, but when it finally clicked, he clutched Magnus to him in a desperate hug, horrified at what he as putting himself through.

They sat like that for several minutes, each comforting and reassuring the other with their presence.

Eventually Alec broke the silence. "You don't have to come, Magnus, it's not like I haven't them on my own before."

"No" said Magnus, wiping his eyes furiously and pushing himself to his feet. "Do you remember that night in Alicante when you saved my life from those horrible Iblis demons? You promised to introduce me to your whole family, and I intend to hold you to that promise" he grinned over his shoulder at Alec, almost back to his confident, sassy self.

"All right, but as to your earlier worries, you're partly right, they probably are going to hate you, and make it very clear too, but as far as embarrassing me goes, I will never be embarrassed to call you my boyfriend, even if you tap dance naked on the steps of the institute, I will still be honoured to be in a relationship with the most sought-after Warlock this side of the Atlantic. I long ago gave up caring what my stupid grandmother and aunt think, all that matters to me is what you think."

After that magnificent speech, Magnus simply had to kiss his wonderful boyfriend.

And when _that _was over with, they were nearly late to the Institute ( Magnus had to open a portal without taking many of the numerous precautions ) but they made it just in time to meet Jace, Izzy and Maryse in the foyer.

**There we go. In the next chapter, you can look forward to meeting Grandmother Veronica and Aunt Petulia . . . you'll love them . . . really . . .**

**No you won't, they're horrible. **

**Please review, it means the world. **

**Haunted Harlequin.**

**x**

**Oh, and I have a few replies to the wonderful people who reviewed chapter 1 and the last chapter of Miscommunication -**

**SilentWatcher1213 - **Thank you, I'm so happy you liked it! And here you are . . . Let me know what you think of it!

**Iris Luna - **I'm so happy that I made you cry . . . ummmm . . . I think. You have my most sincere thanks for your review, it warms my heart :) I would really love to hear what you think of Never Let Me Go as well ! Thanks again, you are amazing.

**PatriciaSage - **Here it is! And thanks for your honesty :) Excitedness! Woo!

**SilentWatcher1213 - **Pretty cool . . . I actually would have used that if my friend hadn't suggested Never Let Me Go when I went round for dinner at hers so thank you very much for trying to help out, I really appreciate it :)

**DarkQueenOfBlood (Sandra) - ** I hope the wait wasn't too bad, but here you are! I hope you enjoyed, and would love to hear what you think. :)

**Okay, that's all for now . . . **

**Oh, and by my Royal decree I declare that any who review Never Let Me Go can indeed request any outtake they want to be written for them and shared with the world via a separate story entitled Never Let Me Go Outtakes. And that includes the lovely people who helped with the title, so . . . drum roll please . . . PatriciaSage , SilentWatcher1213 and DarkQueenOfBlood (Sandra), you may request any scene you wish, now or you can save it for the future . . . **

**So, get reviewing!**

**x**


	3. Meet The Family

**Well here we are again . . . **

**Just one note for those of you who like visual descriptions, Aunt Petulia is basically Petunia from HP, although with long, straight hair, and Veronica is like the horrible Aunt Adelaide in Nanny McPhee ( or the tales of Nurse Matilda ) . . . . Alrighty? **

**Enjoy . . . . **

**Never Let Me Go**

**Chapter 3. Meet The Family**

It was a very tense crowd that stood in the entrance to the Institute that morning, Maryse attempting to clean imaginary dirt off the end of Isabelle's nose, Jace, to the casual observer, unmoved, although Alec could tell that his stomach was in knots; his hands kept curling into fists and twitching towards the Seraph blade hanging from his belt.

And as for Alec and Magnus, when they had stepped through the makeshift portal, Alec had grabbed onto Magnus' hand with a vice-like grip and showed no sign of letting go. To distract himself from the pain, since disengaging Alec was not an option, he called across to Jace - "Hey Goldilocks, where's your little ginger sidekick?"

"Oh, she's upstairs in my room, but apparently it should be 'just family' who meet them. Not sure where you fit into that Sparkles. Or me actually..."

"Oh you know me, getting sent to my room really isn't my thing, unless Alec's coming to of course" he joked, dropping Jace a borderline flirtatious wink. Just to make him squirm, of course, hell would freeze over before Magnus Bane sought after Jace whatever-his-name-was.

Jace's splutters of indignation were interrupted by Isabelle, who had finally escaped her mother. " And you're just as much a part of this family as any of us Jace."

His reaction, however, was lost when three booming knocks on the heavy oak doors sounded.

"Good luck Glitter boy", muttered Jace, however much he argued with the warlock, Jace wouldn't wish the wrath of Veronica Lightwood on anyone.

Magnus just smirked, despite his initial worries, he certainly wouldn't allow himself to look vulnerable in front of Jace, besides, he had seen and heard much worse tan anything an old shadowhunter could come up with.

He hoped.

With one last pitying glance back at her son, Maryse hurried to open the door.

The first through was Robert Lightwood, who greeted his wife with a brief, cursory kiss on her cheek, and his children with a nod in their general direction.

He was closely followed by a tall, angular woman wearing an immaculate black suit, her dark hair scraped back into an unforgiving bun, the kind Magnus would imagine a particularly severe ballet instructor to have.

She greeted Maryse with a curt nod, her soulless grey eyes sweeping over the children without any sign of acknowledgment at all, good or bad.

Right behind her was someone that Magnus had not been expecting - a boy Alec's ( and what he looked like ) age. He was dressed in the cleanest, most official-looking shadowhunter gear that Magnus had ever seen. His perfectly symmetrical face reminded him a bit of Jace, but sort of in a bad way.

Judging from the harsh glares that Jace and Izzy were shooting at the boy, it seemed that impression was correct.

Like his mother (?), the boy didn't acknowledge any of the children, but even went one step further and completely dismissed Maryse as well.

Even by shadowhunter standards that was rude.

But the last and most tensely anticipated arrival had yet to appear. Alec gripped Magnus' hand even tighter.

And in she came.

When Magnus entered a room, his wild outfits and vibrant personality earned and received attention, and lots of it, but this woman demanded it - grabbed it by the scruff of the neck and forced it to follow her. Her sheer arrogance...she seemed to genuinely believe that she was the most important person in the room and that others should worship the very ground she walked on.

She hadn't even said one word. Needless to say that Magnus was a good judge of character.

And needless to say that Magnus disliked her on sight.

"Maryse child, is this your whole family?" she barked at the suddenly frail-looking woman.

"Yes Veronica," she replied, disguising the slight tremor in her voice admirably.

"Ah yes," sniffed the old woman, "Isabelle . . . . ( curt nod ) . . . . Johnathan . . . . ( even more curt nod ) . . . . . . . . . . . . Alexander . . . . . . . . . . ."

* * *

><p><p>

Isabelle POV

It was awful, just AWFUL! The way that Veronica was so high and mighty around Mum, like she was somehow better than her, and Petulia dragging Cousin Bradley down here as well.

Of all of my horrible relations, it's him I hate the most.

Even when we were young, he always thought he was better than them, especially Alec.

It was true that Alec hadn't killed a demon until only a year ago, but that was only because he was so busy making sure that she and Jace didn't get themselves killed, and besides, Alec wasn't really interested in how many demons he killed, or how may times he bested Jace in combat, what really mattered to Alec was that the people he loved were safe, and that they loved him back.

But Bradley lived with Petulia ( his mother ) and Veronica ( her mother ) and all they were interested in was how may demons he had killed and who he had beaten in combat. She almost felt sorry for him, it must have been hell, growing up with those two. They were like poison, their foul words and arrogant opinions seeped into your brain until, unless you were very careful, you found yourself agreeing with them, worshiping them.

And Bradley had grown up with that. Twenty-four / seven.

But that didn't mean that he wasn't a horrible person, and she still hated him.

She remembered, when she was about nine, Alec had been eleven and Bradley had been brought to visit them. Jace had been living with them for nearly six months and it was obvious that Alec was already completely infatuated with the strange, broken boy.

Izzy remembered when Jace first came to them - he had stayed curled up in the corner of his new bed for weeks, covers pulled up to his chin, refusing to speak, make eye contact, or even eat. Maryse had been so worried about him, but he just refused to respond to any of her coaxing.

But Alec, dear, sweet, eleven year old Alec, with his deep, serious eyes and floppy black hair had taken the soup from his distraught mother and walked quietly into the dark bedroom, shutting the door behind him.

None of them had ever spoken about what he said to Jace that day, but the next time they were seen was that night at dinnertime when Alec had led a solemn boy to the table, where they had sat in comfortable silence as Alec watched Jace scooping pasta into his mouth, making sure he had finished all of it before taking him to the sink and showing him where to put the dirty dishes and cutlery.

Anyway, when Bradley came to visit, one of the first things he had demanded they do was run races down in the park. They were around half-way through the race, and Bradley, Jace and Alec were neck-and-neck (Izzy had refused to participate, even at that age she had an innate hatred of mud) when suddenly Jace 'tripped' and cried out. Alec, of course, stopped to see what was wrong but Bradley just ran on.

When they got back to the Institute, Alec almost incoherent with worry, Jace was rushed off to the infirmary, where Hodge confirmed that his leg was broken...badly. But whilst Alec and Izzy and Maryse were all hovering around Jace's bed, Bradley had taken the opportunity to brag all about his 'win' to his mother and Robert, and by the time any of the others got downstairs to defend Jace, he had them convinced that it was Jace who had tried to cheat and caused his own injury in the process.

Bastard.

* * *

><p><p>

**Well there we are . . . . . another very stupid non-chapter where almost nothing happens.**

**Huh.**

**So anyway, it's time to say hi to all the awesome people who found it in their heart to review my little story :) -**

**Katrose42 -** I'm really happy that you love the stories and of course Magnus will find out about Chairman! I think that will be at the end of this story which, at the moment, is quite a long way away. But stick with it yeah? It will get better . . . . probably.

**Iris Luna -** You may be correct . . . . and thank you very much :)

**Yaoilover1013 - ** He's gonna turn up soon! Promise!

**DisturbingEmily -** I know! It's really important that Magnus isn't built up to be some sort of all- powerful god that isn't fazed by anything because then how can he love Alec so much if he has nothing to lose ? Well that's what I reckon. Thanks for your support! It means so much to me! :)

**SilentWatcher1213 -** Yayy! And as to your PM, there isn't really anything interesting to write about at the moment, unless you'd like to see one of Bradley's visits ? Please let me know!

**Alright! And as you should all know by now . . . Review = Outtake . . . although I have yet to actually write any . . . A. because there's not much to actually write at the moment and B. because only SilentWatcher1213 has actually requested one, and was a bit vague at that! Not that I mind at all, but if you have specific requests then it makes it a lot easier for me! **

**Peace out!**

**Haunted Harlequin x**


	4. Revelations

**Don't hate me. Please. I feel terrible. **

**Never Let Me Go.**

**Chapter 4.**

"Why don't you come through to the living room?" Maryse asked timidly, running over to the door in that way that only people who are desperately trying not to look like they are, do.

"I do believe that an adult conversation is in order, Isabelle, Alexander, Jonathan, show Bradley to his room, I am sure he would like the opportunity to unpack, and then perhaps a session in the sparring room would do you all some good" Robert decided, not sparing his children a glance as he swept through the door that his wife held open.

He was quickly followed by Veronica and Petulia, with Maryse throwing one last look of sympathy back at her children before snapping the door shut behind them.

"All right then, let's get this over with," sighed Jace, pushing himself off from the wall to stand shoulder to shoulder with Izzy.

"Indeed" answered Bradley, "show me to my room, where I shall need 5 minutes to order my possessions before we adjourn to the training gym for a sparring session, where we shall discuss recent . . . developments . . . in greater depth."

Alec quickly grabbed hold of Jace's upper arm, gripping just as hard as he was Magnus' hand. Bradley really wasn't worth it. Besides, he hadn't _technically _insulted anyone yet.

Yet . . .

Alec wasn't by nature a violent person, but if Bradley _did _insult Magnus (or Jace or Izzy) in any way, he would floor him so fast he wouldn't be able to see for stars.

"Just follow us," Jace managed to spit past clenched teeth, wrenching his arm forcibly away from Alec and stalking away up the stairs.

In the living room . . .

. . . .

. . . .

"How was your visit to Idris Robert?"

"Adequate"

. . . .

. . . .

"And how are Bradley's studies progressing Petulia?"

"He excels."

. . . .

"I think we all know what it is we are here to discuss. Maryse, sit down next to me" said Veronica, patting the seat next to her on the sofa. "Now, we all understand what it's like, living out here in exile, away from the strength of the Clave, morals start to drift, and one can finds themselves losing touch with what is right and proper."

"But . . ." Maryse tried to protest, only to be shot down by Petulia, who had squashed up on her other side.

"It's alright Maryse, we are here now to support you in your hour of need."

"Yes. Now we have a plan of action to sort out this fiasco that is bringing a stain upon our family name, and whilst it is not entirely necessary, your compliance would be appreciated" stated Robert coldly.

Somewhere deep inside her, the headstrong, stubborn girl who had defied her parents and married who she thought was the man of her dreams was crying out with rage. How dare they treat her like this!

But like the dutiful wife she had been conditioned into after more than twenty years of joyless marriage she merely nodded for them to tell her what it was they wanted from her.

Whilst Alec, Magnus and Izzy waited outside the room for Bradley, Jace went to fetch Clary from his room. On the walk back, he dragged his feet, reluctant to rejoin the others.

"So what's the deal with this Bradley guy then? I'm guessing you don't really like him so much?"

Jace sighed, Clary must have picked up on his dismal mood; he'd been subdued all morning, so much so that he'd completely forgotten to even explain to Clary who Bradley was, besides the minimal 'Alec and Izzy's evil cousin'.

"Yeah, you'd be right there . . ."

" . . . And . . .?"

By the Angel, he might love her to bits but damn that girl was nosy. Well, if he did intend to spend the rest of his life with her, which he did, then he should probably get used to having some embarrassing conversations.

Taking her hand, he leant back against the cold stonewall of the corridor. "The first time I met Bradley, it was about six months after the Lightwoods took me in. One morning Maryse told me that Alec and Izzy's cousin Bradley was coming to stay for a few days. As he walked up the steps, I remember her trying to reassure me, saying that he was a 'nice' boy, but I just brushed her off, even though I was shaking inside.

"At first I though he was okay, he was obsessed with prizes and accolades, but then, so was I. When he said that we should have a race in the park, I was excited, Izzy never wanted to play rough, and Alec wasn't nearly as competitive as me. It started off alright, we were all fairly evenly matched, but the next thing I knew, Bradley had shoulder-barged me so hard that I fell over. By the time we got back to the institute, he had everyone convinced that it was all my fault; that I was the one who was cheating. And Petulia and Robert wouldn't even listen to Alec and Izzy's protests so he got away with it.

"Every time I've seen him since then, it's like he thinks that he's better than me, that he beat me . . . and Alec of course . . ."

"But he didn't!" Clary exclaimed, pushing on his chest, "I know that, you know that, Alec knows that, I don't get what the problem is?"

Did this girl know _nothing _about him?

"It's the principle. He lied about me and so far he's gone completely unpunished."

"Well then," said Clary, her emerald eyes gazing up at him mischievously, "let's see what we can do about that in the training room . . ."

They reached the closed door just in time for Clary to explain her ideas to the others before they were joined by Bradley and practically marched down to the training room.

When they got there, Bradley immediately went to the weapons rack and started to gear up. Jace was still helping Izzy with the buckles on her cuff and Magnus was doing the laces on Alec's trainers when he moved to rejoin them, suited up in coal black Shadowhunter gear – the cleanest any of them had ever seen.

But before he could get even half way across the floor, he found his path blocked by Clary. She was standing about two feet away, and she flicked her eyes up and down him before approaching, twisting her hips and all the while keeping her mascara-lined eyes locked on his. She didn't stop until she was almost pressed up right against him, when she paused for a long, drawn-out moment, before smiling and spinning around slowly, pulling her fiery tangle over her shoulder as she said "do me . . . up . . . would you?"

Slightly taken aback, but striving desperately to hide it behind layers of cocky attitude, he quickly and efficiently tugged the straps at the back of her jacket into place, his fingers occasionally brushing against her pale skin, sending exaggerated shivers down her spine. When he was finished, she span back round abruptly, giving him a dazzling smile before flouncing back to the others.

Weird. From the reports Bradley had received of the sins of the Lightwoods, one thing had seemed abundantly clear – Jonathan, or whatever his name was these days, and this Clarissa girl were very much in 'love'. So what was she playing at? Maybe everyone was wrong, maybe she was just involved with Jace because he was 'strong' and 'handsome', but as soon as someone better (himself) had come along, her affection had waned, transferring onto the clearly alpha male.

A smirk playing about the corners of his rigid mouth, Bradley swaggered over to his peers, throwing his glove at the feet of his painted jezebel of a cousin – Isabelle. Her steely gaze met his impassive look, she had none of the grace and modesty of the young women who were raised properly in Idris by traditional means, and instead of the respect and obedience he was used to, he only saw contempt and determination in her features. He would relish putting this one in her place.

As they circled each other in the sparring space, Bradley found himself facing the wall where Clary was leaning. Usually when he sparred, Bradley was entirely focused on the fight; mundanes would call him 'in the zone'. But today, he couldn't seem to get his mind off the porcelain doll that appeared to be hanging on Jonathan's every word.

By the time he was bleeding in three different places and had bruises covering a large percentage of his arms and chest, it was really starting to annoy him. But he would not give up.

After another two rounds he had managed to claw his way back to a position where he was inflicting as much injury as he was receiving, but neither of them were going to beat the other anytime soon unless he did something drastic.

But just as he was formulating a plan of attack, Jonathon leapt up onto the platform between them, calling a halt to their fight and forcing them to rest whilst he and 'Alec' took to the stage.

After them, Isabelle invited Clarissa to spar, leaving Bradley torn between disgust at the unnatural display of affection occurring between his obviously spelled cousin and that ludicrous warlock, and the satisfaction of watching an apparent rift forming in the 'perfect' couple.

Before he had arrived, everyone he had spoken to (Bradley liked to be well informed), had seemed to be of the opinion that the newly formed item were the very definition of a match made in heaven. But from his own observations, it seemed as if they were not so well suited at all.

"You should go for it." The voice sounded unexpectedly at his ear. Of course, it did not catch him off guard . . . a worthy shadowhunter was never caught off guard. But it was . . . unexpected. He turned to look at the speaker and there, completely unashamedly, was Alexander, speaking to Bradley as if he thought they were equals. Disgusting.

Swallowing his bile, Bradley answered the boy, in as scathing tones as he could manage "what _are _you talking about Alexander?"

"Clary. I've seen you looking at her. You should go for it. Only the other day she was telling me how he wasn't enough of a man for her." At the surprised look Bradley was unable to disguise in time, Alec chuckled, "I'm the gay best friend . . . you wouldn't understand, but trust me, she tells me everything."

With no small amount of effort, Bradley managed to keep his face impassive whilst his mind whirled. He didn't even realise when Alec retreated.

_A real man._

The chance to get another thing over on Jonathan was tantalizingly close, and all he needed to do, apparently, was 'go for it'.

**So how wassat ? ? **

**I'm really sorry for the huuuge delay, but honestly, school does have to take priority, and I have been completely snowed under :/**

**Now, as you guys all know, I make a point of replying to everyone who reviews publicly, so everyone can see just how amazing and appreciated you guys are, but right now I'm exhausted from writing and working, and this chapter is wayyy longer than any of the others, with or without my thankyou's!**

**I will thank everyone though, just next chapter, when I thank all the beautiful, sparkly people who review this stupidly long awaited for chapter!**

**Please review, it takes 20 seconds to do it, and it makes my world so bright!**

**Peace out!**

**Haunted Harlequin**

**And the next chapter wont be so long, I promise . . . . **


	5. Fight

**Here we go again . . . **

**Never Let Me Go.**

**Chapter 5.**

Bradley spent the remainder of the session mulling plan after plan over in his head. How to completely humiliate and triumph over Johnathon with the maximum of publicity and the minimum of effort . . . hmmm . . . It was certainly a challenge.

But then, not all plans had to be fiendishly intricate, it could be as simple as . . .

"Excuse me Clarissa, I must speak with Johnathon for a moment."

"Oh?" Her pixie green eyes sparkled as she gazed into his eyes from a level just below his chin, and far too close to his chest. "And why is that?"

"I'm sure you'll find out soon enough" he replied, smiling down at her as nicely as he could. Obviously feeling threatened by their interaction, as well he should, Johnathon near growled at Bradley "whatever you want to say to me, you can say in front of her. We don't have any secrets from each other."

"Alright," smirked Bradley, "I challenge you to a Formal Shadowhunter Duel. You. Me. Eighteen hundred hours. Weapon of your choice. Here." Unsurprised by Johnathon's stunned silence, Bradley turned to Clarissa, "think he's up to it doll?"

"Of course I am demon breath" snarled Johnathon before stalking away towards the armoury, the ditsy ginger following in his wake.

Meeting the curious eyes of Isabelle, Bradley merely smirked again and stalked away to inform the elder occupants of the house of the upcoming fight.

If he was going to finally put Johnathon in his place, he wanted there to be a proper audience.

...some hours later...

5.54pm.

It was five minutes until the 'big fight'. Alec couldn't resist putting virtual inverted commas around the phrase. Honestly. Did Jace really think Alec had nothing better to do than watch him and Bradley argue over their considerable egos and insecure masculinity.

Of course, he would never ever let anyone see this grouchy, selfish side of himself. No, he wasn't like Jace or Isabelle who broadcast their emotions to anyone within a twelve mile radius of them.

But he couldn't help but be irritated by this unwelcome intrusion on valuable cuddling time with Magnus. Plus it meant spending yet more time in the company of his extended family.

At least Magnus was there to share his burden.

Speaking of Magnus, he had just joined Alec, springing up the steps to the raised platform which held the Lightwood clan and, ignoring the scandalized looks from the matriarch and her minions, cuddled up next to his gorgeous boyfriend, kissing his frown lines away.

"Come on grumpy," he murmured, "not long until I can get you home and ... mmph ... umm ... fffummp ..."

"Do you promise to never ever mention our sex life anywhere near my family again?" hissed Alec into Magnus' ear. Maybe he was over-reacting, Magnus had been speaking very quietly, but then, Magnus wasn't known for his discretion in general, Alec had to warn him off sometimes. "Promise?"

Magnus nodded his head vigorously, fighting desperately to control his giggles. Luckily, he was interrupted by a loud gong, and Alec released his mouth as Johnathon and Bradley stepped out onto the 'arena'.

In all his years, Magnus had never really understood the need for gratuitous violence that seemed to be hardwired into the brains of some otherwise seemingly intelligent, highly functioning, normal men. It certainly wasn't the case with him, so instead of watching the fight, he spent the majority of his time watching Alec, gauging Jace's progress by his reactions.

After about ten minutes, although it could have been much longer, Isabelle, Simon, Clary and Alec all stood up and shouted out at once. Judging by their tone, it was a good sign for Jace and, sure enough, turning his head, Magnus saw a victorious Jace standing over a defeated Bradley.

Turning even more, Magnus glanced along to where Petulia, Veronica, Robert and Maryse were sitting. Maryse was seated a small yet significant distance from her husband, a small smile gracing her usually severe features.

Robert and Petulia were engaged in harsh whispers and although he couldn't hear a word they said, the tension and aggression rolling off the pair was deafening.

Finally, Magnus' gaze met Veronica's. The hostility with which she was staring Magnus made him want to shrink back into Alec's arms, but he somehow managed to hold his own, and stared back at her, his feline eyes watering with the intensity.

It was Clary who broke the invisible battle of wills, flouncing through it on her way to the arena. Slightly lightheaded, Magnus followed her, tugging Alec along, Izzy and Simon behind them, none of them wanted to miss this.

"Hey Boys," Clary drawled, sauntering towards where Bradley was making a very ungentlemanly gesture at Jace's sweat covered back.

"Clarissa - "

"Clary - "

After a brief elbow tussle, Bradley moved towards Clary, arms spread wide, his voice jovial, if forced, somehow, "Someone had to be the bigger man..."

But whilst Bradley was approaching slowly, Jace had nipped round his side and caught Clary in a massive hug, spinning her round until they were both close to falling over. Wasting no time, he smashed his lips into hers.

"What do you think you're doing?" yelled Bradley, hauling Jace off Clary.

"Kissing my girlfriend! What the hell man ?" Jace moved back to Clary, only to be stopped again by Bradley.

"She's only your girlfriend if she wants to be, and I don't think she does. Come on Clarissa, let me show you how a real man..."

"What?" shrieked Clary as he attempted t stretch his arm over her shoulders and guide her away from Jace.

"Well Alexander was telling me..."

"And you honestly believed I wanted you over Jace? What kind of self obsessed moron are you? Jace is ten times the man, and shadowhunter, you'll ever be!"

Bradley dropped his arm from where it had been hanging limply in the air, looking slightly dazed. He felt like he was in some kind of weird, demon venom induced dream, he had never had his advances rejected before in his life.

"But ... but ..."

"But nothing. Back off you freak. Come on Jace, I want to congratulate you _properly _on your triumph" and with a wink from Clary, and a borderline crazy grin from Jace, they were gone.

"Isabelle..."

"Save it for someone who cares Bradley" Izzy smirked, strutting away from them with a sniggering Simon in tow.

"You." Bradley turned on Magnus and Alec, neither of whom were succeeding in stifling their giggles.

He walked right up to Alec, until they were standing practically toe to toe.

"You'll regret this."

And with a meaningful glance in Magnus' direction, he stormed off to his mother.

* * *

><p><p>

"I'll miss you tonight."

"I know, I'll miss you too, but what with Veronica and Bradley and everything, it's probably best if I stay here."

"mmm . . . I guess so . . ."

Alec almost laughed, Magnus had scrunched up his nose, he looked like a toddler who had lost his favourite teddy bear. In a way, Alec supposed, he had - Magnus loved to snuggle.

"Don't worry babe, I'll come over as soon as I can tomorrow and try to make it up to you" said Alec as soothingly as possible.

"Promise?" snuffled Magnus, his voice muffled by Alec's jacket, which he was attempting to burrow into.

"I promise."

"Ok."

After several minutes of just reveling in the peace he found in Alec's arms, Magnus spoke again.

"Promise me something else?"

"Anything."

"Never let me go."

"As much as I wish I could, you have to go, but I'll see you tomorrow, when we'll have all the time in the world. Go on, the sooner you get to sleep, the sooner it'll be morning." And with that, Alec gave Magnus a gentle shove down the rest of the Institute's steps before disappearing inside.

* * *

><p><p>

Squinting in the pitch blackness, Magnus fitted his custom made glitter covered key into the lock of his front door. Walking back instead of catching had seemed a nice idea when he set off, but now he was quite cold and longing for his bed.

"Ah hah" he exclaimed softly as the key finally slid home.

Later, Magnus would wonder how he could have been so ignorant not to notice something moving behind him in the darkness, but by the time he did realise someone was there, it was too late.

**Ooo, okay, that was maybe a bit mean of me :) nah well, least we're getting into the main plot now ...**

**Anyway, with no further ado, here are the thank you s for the reviews for both chapter 3 and 4. Love you guys!**

**Chapter 4 -**

**MIAddiction - **Sorry! I know I've been crappy lately, but thank you for putting up with me :) I'll try to be better, it's one of my new years resolutions!

**Lilli-glenanne - **Yeah, sorry there isn't a closer account of Bradley's ass-kicking, but the story is ultimately about Magnus and Alec so I had to move it on. And yeah, I hope she can give Robert the shove soon!

**DisturbingEmily - **I'm so glad you hate my OC! Ermm... :) Hope you like this too! Thank you so much for all your reviews, they mean the world!

**Lululuke015 - **yay! lemme know what you love most and I'll try to put more of that in! :)

**SilentWatcher1213 - I**'m so happy! Sorry for the wait :( I really hope you liked this chapter too!

**And Chapter 3 - **

**SilentWatcher1213 - **I swear, I was smiling for, like a week after I read your review :) I honestly can't tell you how great you are :) and yeah, you spelt it right :)

**DisturbingEmily - **yeah, they're pretty horrible . . . and stay with it, they get worse :)

**.hope ( Chantelle ) - **well something definitely happened in this one :) please review again!

**Ok, I think that's it - only thing left for me to do is beg for reviews and wish you all a happy new year! Have a good one :) **

**Haunted Harlequin x**


	6. Separation

**Never Let Me Go.**

**Chapter 6.**

**Umm… bit of language in this one, not sure if it's enough to take it up to an 'M' though, I'll change the ratings if anyone complains **

**I still don't own the boys But human Chairman is all mine ! **

Jace rubbed his eyes furiously as he stepped out of the creaking elevator. Who on earth would want to get into the Institute at this time of night? Personally, he would have been fine with leaving them out there until a more reasonable hour, but the constant banging on the door had irritated Clary, so of course he had been dispatched to find out what the mystery caller wanted.

Heaving open the door, Jace squinted out into the darkness, grumbling loudly "Do you have _any _idea what . . . oh." Whatever he had been expecting, it certainly wasn't this.

In front of him stood a small, blonde elf-like man, who was dressed in clothes worthy of Magnus 'Glitters' Bane himself but had, what looked like mascara, running all the way from his red rimmed eyes to a delicate, almost feminine chin.

"I . . . come in, you're soaked" he exclaimed, his sleep infused eyes catching the tremors shaking the man's small frame. "What are doing outside at this hour? In this weather? Are you mad!"

"I . . . just . . . I need to get to . . . I need Alec" stammered the man, looking even more pathetic, dwarfed by the ornate front door that was behind him.

"Well, he's asleep at the moment, but if you come back-"

"NO! I NEED TO SEE HIM NOW!"

Jace took a step backwards, slightly unnerved by the force of the man's cry.

But just as suddenly, the man was back to begin meek and delicate. "I'm sorry, I . . . please take me to him, he won't mind being woken up, I promise."

"Okaay, umm, follow me." Said Jace, leading the strange visitor to the elevator, wild theories involving the man, Alec, and an elaborate, illicit affair running riot in his mind.

When they reached Alec's bedroom door, Jace had barely knocked before the stranger burst into the room, the door hitting the wall with a loud thud, waking Alec up.

"Huh? Whassat? Who…" Alec blurted out, slapping his hand over his eyes as Jace flicked the switch, filling the room with harsh light, which burned his eyes. "Jace! What do you think you're playing at?"

"Ask him." Came the self-assured answer from his parabatai.

"Who?" asked Alec, lowering his arm slowly.

Finally, his gaze fell on the man rapidly creating a puddle of rainwater in the middle of the room. After a moment, he exploded out of his bed, running across the room and catching the man in his arms.

"Chairman! What is it, what's wrong?" he asked, smoothing his hand desperately over the man's blond hair. "Is it Magnus? What's happened?" his voice rose in pitch, becoming panicked himself.

Chairman merely shook more, looking like the only thing keeping him upright was Alec's arms wrapped around him.

"Chairman! What's happened to Magnus? Please! I'm going mad here!" Alec had managed to guide them to his bed, where he sat down heavily, Chairman still clinging to him, sitting pretty much in his lap.

"Magnus . . . he's . . . he's gone!" wailed the distraught man-cat, breaking into a fresh round of tears.

"What do you mean gone? Why would he leave us?"

"No! You don't understand . . . I was waiting for him at home and then I heard his key in the lock . . . but . . . but he didn't come in! And . . . then I heard noises, and I went to look and . . . and . . ." Chairman was shaking again, more violently, and Alec could feel fresh tears soaking into his shoulder.

"Are you saying someone took him Chairman?" asked Alec, his voice strangely calm. He felt removed from his body, like all this was happening to someone else and he was just watching it in one of the mundanes' cinemas.

Chairman Meow just nodded into his shoulder. Alec tightened his arms around him, clinging onto him like a lifeline. He looked up, and in the doorway were gathered Jace, Clary and Izzy, all looking in to the room, confusion written across their faces.

"It's Magnus." He said to them, "He's missing. Someone's taken him."

"What?" Isabelle rushed forwards before hesitating, "but who's this…"

"Umm…umm…oh Izzy…" Alec cried, holding his arms out from behind Chairman to her. She rushed to him, throwing her arms around both her brother and his mystery friend. There would be time enough to find out about him later, right now her brother needed her.

In hushed whispers, Jace told to Clary to go and tell Maryse what had happened before approaching the bed himself and resting an awkward hand on Alec's shoulder. They stayed that way for several minutes, each silently giving and receiving support from each other.

Suddenly, Veronica burst into the room. The formidable matriarch stood there for a few seconds surveying the scene before striding over to the group and ordering everyone except Alec out of the room. Her tone was such that no one even considered arguing.

As the others staggered out, Izzy and Jace almost holding Chairman Meow up, Alec remained on the bed, head bowed, still too stunned to even begin to process what was happening.

Out in the corridor, Jace turned to Chairman Meow, fisting his hands in the crumpled material of his jacket.

"Who are you?" he demanded. Clary, who had arrived just after Veronica, opened her mouth to object to his sharpness – it was obvious to all of them how distraught Chairman was. However, Jace's tough love seemed to be just the thing Chairman needed.

He choked back his sobs, stammering his story to them in between gasps for air. When he had finished explaining his magic-cat-human origins, he looked so forlorn and delicate in Jace's grasp that Jace couldn't help pulling him into a surprisingly gentle hug.

Meanwhile, Izzy was accosting Clary. "What were you thinking? Why is Veronica here?"

"I'm sorry…but all the halls look the same, and I nearly ran into her coming up the stairs. She wouldn't let me go before I told her what had happened. I'm sorry."

"It's alright, you couldn't help it." Chairman said, smiling weakly at her.

"Yeah, no use crying over spilt milk, what do you think she's saying in there?" asked Izzy, staring at the bedroom door.

"No idea."

"Alexander. I realise you must be feeling…dismayed…at this turn of events"

"…"

Unperturbed at his lack of a reaction, she forged ahead. "But don't you think that it might be for the best? I mean, have you forgotten all you have been taught of the deceptions of the downworlders? Can you not see that this _warlock _has poisoned your mind, turning you away from what is right and just? He lied to you, Alexander. He never truly cared about you."

"What?" Alec was woken from his stupor, how could she be saying these things about Magnus? His Magnus, lie to him? Never.

"No one's blaming you, Alexander, you've been under his spell, but don't worry, soon you'll be free of him."

"What? What are you saying? You never met him! Magnus _loves _me. More than you ever did! And I love him. With everything I am, I love him. And I will get him back." Alec was panicking again. He leapt up from the bed, striding to the door.

"Alexander…"

"NO!" he yelled over his shoulder, racing out into the corridor and catching onto Chairman's hand, dragging him behind him as he ran for the stairs.

"Where are we going Alec?" The tiny man asked in between gasps as he pushed his muscles to keep up with Alec's terrifying speed.

"Home."

Magnus came to slowly, like he was emerging from underwater but someone had tied weights to his ankles. He tried to lift his arm to rub the haze from his vision, but for some reason, his arm simply wouldn't obey him.

Lifting his head from where it had been lolling on his chest, he looked down to where his arm was. For a few seconds, he simply stared bemusedly at the thick rope coiled around his arm and the arm of the wooden chair beneath him.

Finally, a few neurons fired in unison and suddenly he was wide-awake and aware. He had at his front door when someone had grabbed him from behind and hit his head against the wall. Very hard. He was still feeling queasy, and when he looked around, it seemed like the he was swaying. He was tied to a chair in . . . well, from what he could make out, his feline eyes picking out details in the dimly lit room . . . he was in some sort of metal container.

What on earth was he doing there? Or, he supposed, why on earth had someone dragged him here in the middle of the night and left him tied to a chair? It made no sense. Sure, he was an extremely powerful warlock, and with a history as long as his, there were bound to be a few enemies scattered around. But he had always been careful not to piss off the really important people. And besides, he had been awake for at least ten minutes, let alone how long he had been unconscious, and there was no hint of anyone coming to gloat or whatever. Magnus didn't want to think about what the 'whatever' could be.

As his head cleared, Magnus realised it wasn't his head that was swimming, the room actually was rocking gently. He was on a boat. This night was just getting weirder and weirder.

Oh Lilith, what was Alec going to think? Would he think that Magnus had been scared off by his horrible family and just left without telling him? No . . . Magnus had assured him of his love so many times, it probably wouldn't even occur to Alec that Magnus would run away from him.

But what would he think? Magnus supposed he would probably believe what was true – that Magnus had been warlock-napped. Lilith, Magnus couldn't even begin to imagine how much pain he'd be in if it were Alec that had been forcibly ripped from his side.

Had Alec already found him gone? The dark container offered no clue as to the time of day. Was he crying now? It was almost unbearable, knowing that his Alexander was in pain and there was nothing he could do to fix it. He had to escape, get back to Alec, whatever it took.

With this new determination, Magnus pulled against the rope, wriggling his fingers desperately. Whoever had tied him really knew what they were doing. For a start, the knots were faultless, the rope had been tightened just enough to hurt, but not enough to seriously restrict his blood flow and, most importantly, his hands had also been bound flat to the side of the chair.

He couldn't click his fingers.

So whatever he did, it would have to be without magic, at least until he freed himself.

Rats.

He sat there, passing the time by recreating every detail of every moment he had spent with Alec in his mind. The first time Alec had slept in his bed . . . the first time he had slept in Alec's bed . . . the first time Alec slipped his small hand into Magnus' . . . the way his eyes had light up the first time Magnus made him laugh, sparkling with mirth and searing their way into Magnus' heart forever, etching Alexander's name into his very soul.

Their first fight . . . Cradling a sobbing Alec in his arms when they made up . . .

He had never been happier in his existence than when he was with Alec.

Magnus had no idea how much time had passed, but he was abruptly woken from his daydreams by the loud clang of a bolt being drawn back and the scrape of the heavy metal door of the shipping container being pushed open. Footsteps echoed around him as, presumably his abductor, approached. No more light had been released when the door was opened, so either he was in a box in a bigger box, or it was night time. Either way, it meant that whilst he could hear a person approaching, he could only see a silhouette of their figure, details were lost to the dim light from a single light bulb hanging somewhere behind him.

But then, suddenly, he was plunged from one extreme to the other . . . he went from blinded by the darkness to blinded by an all-encompassing and all-penetrating lightness.

"Argh! What the -" he exclaimed, lurching in his seat in a futile attempt to slap his hand over his eyes.

"Shut your mouth you half breed scum." The command was not barked or shouted, it was hissed, so close to his ear that Magnus could feel the warmth of his attacker's putrid breath against his cheek.

And that was altogether much more terrifying.

"Now…you have a choice here warlock…either you cooperate, and we do this the easy way…or you don't." The mystery man had moved behind him, so even as Magnus' eyes adjusted, his identity was still hidden.

"Who are you?"

_Crack_

"I ask the questions, understand?"

Magnus nodded his head weakly, tears streaming down his burning cheek.

"So. The question is… Will you release my son from your nefarious enchantments, or will we have to make you?"

"Wha-"

"It is clear to anyone who would care to observe that you have placed Alexander under some form of enchantment to corrupt him with your sordid lifestyle."

"Robert." Magnus' heart plummeted. He had never mentioned this to Alec, but when he had fought in the uprising, Robert Lightwood had been famed for his … Spanish inquisition … interrogation style. And his blind hatred of anything non-Shadowhunter.

"Well deduced." And with a snort of laughter, the greying man stepped around to face Magnus. "Now…remove your spells from my son or I shall be forced to do something drastic to protect what is left of his honour."

"What do you mean? Alec isn't…"

_Crack_

"YES HE IS! How else would MY SON have become such a … FAGGOT! And not just that … he's involved with a WARLOCK of YOUR reputation. Alexander would NEVER intentionally bring such SHAME on his own FAMILY!"

Perhaps he was a bit punch drunk, but it was at this point that Magnus might have made a slight error of judgement.

"And how would you know? I don't think anyone remembers the last time you had a decent conversation with your _son._ You have no idea what he's capable of."

Adrenaline flooded through Magnus as he sat there, staring defiantly into the face of his evil father-in-law. He knew it was wrong to antagonise him, but he'd had a really bad day, and even at the best of times, anyone speaking ill of his Alec found themselves a spot on his hate list.

Robert simply turned and walked to the door, before turning to Magnus for the last time. "Just remember, _Warlock"_ that oily, creeping tone was back, "you brought this on yourself."

**dum dum duuuuuummmm!**

**Thank you s –**

**DisturbingEmily - **Hope you weren't waiting too long, and who knows what will happen next? Thanks for reviewing again, love ya!

**XxListlessAngelxX - **Thanks :D Is this one?

**Ok, well, please review, this is the chapter I've been most nervous about so far…**

**I still haven't decided whether I want this to have a happy ending yet either, I'm not in a very happy ending mood :/**

**Thanks for reading, Love ya**

**Haunted Harlequin x**


	7. Begin The Search

**I know. I'm sorry. I've had a staggering amount of exams and coursework recently.**

Chest heaving, Chairman Meow fell into the over-stuffed armchair. He and Alec had run all the way from the Institute to the apartment and he was personally amazed neither of their legs had fallen off.

But then, he had seen the look in Alexander's eyes. Not even a hoard of Moloch Demons could have stood in his way.

From where he was slumped, Chairman could see through the bedroom door Alec hadn't had the mind space to close behind him. The dark haired shadowhunter had just run, focusing all his being on reaching his home and now he was there, standing in the dim glow of the lamp he and Magnus had left on in their rush that morning.

Magnus...

The flood he'd been holding back suddenly overwhelmed him, sweeping him away and his legs out from under him.

At some point Chairman Meow had shifted back into his feline form and managed to worm his way between the sequinned scarves and leather straps to curl around Alec's shaking bicep. But Alec stayed where he'd landed, cushioned on the small mountain of Magnus' clothes, until the sun began to filter through the fluorescent curtains.

Crash.

A plate slipped and brought Alec hurtling out of the bedroom, "Mag?" he cried frantically, scanning the room for the source of the noise.

"Sorry Alec, it's just us" Jace said, looking up from were he was crouched over the shards of one of Magnus' mismatched plates. Clary was stationed by the oven and Izzy was fiddling with a gurgling coffee machine.

"Oh, I thought..."

"We know Alec, we know Magnus is lost" Clary said softly, her expressive eyes watching Alec like she was expecting him to break apart.

But her expectations were disappointed. Right in front of them, Izzy, Clary and Jace saw a transformation.

His shoulders straightened, head came up, hands balled into fists and when his eyes met theirs for the first time since Magnus was taken, there was a fire in them that made even Jace wary.

"He's not lost. He's taken. And I Will Get Him Back."

"We all will Alec, you're not in this alone," said Izzy "you're not the only one who cares about him."

It was Clary who broke the heavy silence surrounding the small family. "We'll find him Alec, but you'll never be able to do it alone on an empty stomach. Eat. We made pancakes."

Alec hesitated, every cell in his body was screaming to get out and find his Magnus, but as usual his head over-ruled his body and so he sat down to eat the admittedly delicious pancakes.

Breath fluttering, Magnus struggled to maintain consciousness. His fingers fluttered against the ropes holding him and the steady drip of his blood onto the concrete was the only sound that reached his ears.

Lilith only knew how long he had been held, but the hunger pangs shaking his frame were the least of his problems.

Robert was smart. He knew how to torture, how to make a person feel as if their whole world had been reduced down to one sensation – pain.

The worst thing was that Magnus knew he would have given anything to make it stop – would have betrayed his closest friend to escape, but there was nothing he could give Robert. The man was delusional, he honestly believed that Magnus had put some sort of spell on his son.

Alexander...

Alec's electrifying eyes were all that Magnus could see from behind his swollen lids. All that had kept him going was the overwhelming need to feel his Alec in his arms again.

But he knew that possibility was long gone. Of course he loved Alec too much to doubt that his love would search for him, but he knew it was hopeless. What son would suspect his own father? It was true Alec distrusted his father, even hated him on occasion, but he wouldn't ever think to consider that Robert was involved. Especially if the evil bastard played his cards right.

The lack of any significant noise or colour unnerved Magnus. For all of his indecently long life, Magnus had surrounded himself with noise and colour as a way to distract himself from the silence eternity he faced alone. Now all he had was the silence. It surrounded him, consumed him and was driving him insane.

Why was this happening to him? All he wanted was to be happy with his Alexander for the too few years they would have together. Why would Robert want to destroy the happiness Magnus was so proud to have brought to Alec's life?

Jealousy? Magnus knew that Maryse and Robert, if they ever were happy, had lost whatever connection they had a long time ago and only stayed together out of convenience and some regard for their children.

No, that didn't fit. Maybe it was just as simple as racism, Magnus wondered. Robert Lightwood couldn't bear the thought that his son had 'betrayed' him by choosing to associate with the likes of Magnus. Add to that the embarrassment of Alec's hugely public 'coming out' and Magnus could almost see how Robert's twisted mind would construct such wild theories of enchantments and coercion to cope with what he saw as a family disgrace.

Magnus was pulled out of his thoughts by the slamming of the door. He snapped his head up, heart sinking to his bare feet as the harsh light was clicked on.

"Robert please..." his strained voice cracked as he wheezed, his throat was incredibly sore, both from the lack of water and the number of screams he had been forced to release over the last however many hours.

"No such luck I'm afraid" The lilting voice came, and as the door swung shut Magnus couldn't hold in his gasp of surprise.

"So Alec, what's our starting point?" Clary asked, leaning across the counter. Izzy looked up from the coffee table and Jace twisted his body from where he was washing up. _Clarissa really does have him wrapped around her little finger doesn't she_ Alec thought. _But then, I can't talk, I'd do anything for Mag. I __**will**__ do anything to get him home safely._

Feeling a little uncomfortable with being the centre of attention, Alec started "Well . . . I think we should start here. As much as I want to get out there, maybe whoever attacked Mag left something behind, or took something."

"That makes sense," Izzy said.

"Yeah" Clary agreed, "we can each take a room, see if anything looks out of place or broken."

"Great. Clary, you look in here, Izzy, the bathroom, Jace, the hall and study and," cough "I'll take the bedroom." Alec instructed.

Sharing one last glance, they all split up to search the various annexes of Magnus' home. The shared thought that none of them would ever voice aloud was _how on earth would they know if anything was missing? Magnus' home was a permanent paint spill wrapped in a train wreck._

**So, please forgive me for the wait, and please please review. Reviews are an awesome motivation, and with the load of work I've got, Fan Fiction tends to get bumped down the priority list :/ Move it up a notch with a review :) **

**xx  
><strong>


	8. Contact

Chapter 8.

With a fire in his heart, Alec returned to the bedroom to begin his search. He could hear the others clattering around the house and if he wasn't so focused on finding anything that could get him to his Magnus, he'd have winced. Magnus was very particular about his home.

In contrast to the last time he'd been in the room, Alec moved urgently around the cluttered room, a hurricane leaving order instead of destruction in his wake. He figured there might be something shoved in a pocket, a note or business card that could give him some clue about who had taken his love.

The only problem was that all the clothes Magnus owned were scattered all over the carpet. But Alec was not to be deterred, and he rifled through the pockets of countless jackets, pants and bags before throwing them into the closet. Finding nothing, he started on the beside cabinet.

Ripping out the drawer he threw it onto the bed, glancing at it's contents before turning to the bottom cabinet. As he ripped open the door he sent the various potions and lotions inside flying. Growling in frustration he slammed his hand down on the bed. Two hours he could have been out looking for Magnus and what had he been doing? Tidying.

Feeling more discouraged than ever, Alec flopped onto the bed, rubbing his hands through his already messy hair. Sighing, he started browsing through the abandoned drawer. He couldn't remember ever actually looking in this drawer – not that there was any reason not to, he just never really thought of it.

At a glance, it looked like it was filled with junk. To any other person, it probably was, but to Alec, and clearly to Magnus, it was everything.

The wrapper from the first chocolate bar Magnus bought for Alec – he had been scandalised that Alec had never had any.

Stubs from the cheesy rom-com they had been dragged to on Clary's bizarre 'double date' spree.

A photograph from their visit to Harry Potter World that Magnus had spelled to be like the moving photographs in the magical world.

One of Alec's socks. He had no idea why.

And a box. It was innocuous enough, plain black velvet, about the size of Alec's palm.

Pulling it out, Alec frowned, it almost looked like one of the jewellery boxes that littered Izzy's dressing table. Why was Magnus buying girl's jewellery?

Tentatively, Alec pinched what he assumed was the lid between his thumb and forefinger and lifted it. What he saw almost made him drop the box.

Nestled on the deepest blue silk was the most incredible necklace Alec had ever seen.

It was made of weathered silver, bumps and creases in the pendant making it obvious the piece was totally unique. Set in the centre of the thick disk that was perhaps 2 inches wide, was a golden tiger's eye stone. It looked oddly familiar to Alec, and it wasn't until he tilted it to the light, delicate silver chain swinging free, that he saw it. Magnus' eye. The light glistened in the precious stone just as it did in Magnus' eyes.

Adjusting his grip, Alec's fingers brushed a furrow. Flipping the pendant in his nimble fingers, Alec could see words inscribed in the silver.

_I give you my heart_

_Forever and always_

Closing his fist around the pendant, Alec, overcome with emotion, whispered "where are you Magnus? I love you."

"_I love you too."_

"Magnus?" Alec' head shot up, frantic eyes searching in vain for his lover. "Magnus!"

"_I can hear you Alec" _the soft whisper came back.

"But how? Where are you?"

"_I don't know Alec, but I can hear you as you hear me – through the necklace. I enchanted it so we could communicate through it when we needed each other. I was going to give it to you on our anniversary next week. How did you find it?" _The very sound of Magnus' voice was enough to make Alec weep in joy, but that joy was tainted by the obvious tremor in his boyfriend's tone. He sounded weak, and short of breath.

"Oh Magnus you are the most amazing person. I found it when I was searching our room for any clue about who had taken you. Are you alright Mag? Are you safe?"

"_Oh Alec I was so scared you'd think I had simply abandoned you! I love you so much Alec please never believe I could leave you!"_

"Never. But Magnus tell me. Are you alright? I have to know." Alec was pleading now, aware that Magnus was avoiding his question.

"_That's not important Alec, you must listen to me . . ."_

"Bullshit!" Alec exclaimed, "Magnus your well being is the most important thing in the world to me."

"_Okay, I've been better, can we leave it at that? I must tell you something, but you're not going to like it. I know who took me."_

"How is that bad? Tell me Magnus, tell me and I will bend all the powers of the heavens to find them and make them pay for what they have done to us." The fire, which had withered when confronted with the would be anniversary present, rekindled, burning stronger and brighter than ever.

"_It was your father Alec. He took me, and he … tortured … me. He believes I have put you under some sort of spell to make you love me."_

"..."

"_Alec?"_

"_I'm sorry Alec, but you have to believe me. Your aunt just left me. She agrees with your father and neither appears to have any qualms about how they persuade me to lift this curse."_

"How badly are you hurt Magnus?"

"_Alec..."_

"How. Badly. Are. You. Hurt."

"_It's, it's pretty bad Alec. I don't know how much longer I can last."_

"Where are you?"

"_I don't know but Alec I really don't think you're dealing with..."_

"I'm fine. Do you see anything around you? Landmarks, window views …?"

"_No. It's just a big box, maybe 3 by 6, made of corrugated iron with a light bulb hanging from the ceiling."_

"Nothing else?" Alec's voice remained hard.

"_Alec please … I'm scared" _Magnus admitted, voice shaking even more, and Alec could almost tate the tears that were undoubtedly running down the caramel skin of his lover.

" I'm sorry Mag. Forgive me, I just can't ..."

"_I know Alec, it's okay but please please hurry. I need you."_

"I need you too, I couldn't live without you, I miss you so much it hurts. I Will find you, and we'll be together I promise you, don't worry. Don't be scared."

"_Okay" _Magnus answered bravely, "_just hurry Alec."_

"I promise you Magnus, you'll sleep in our bed tonight."

"_Umm, Alec? This is kinda taking quite a bit out of me, the connection needs live power and all of mine is focussed on healing me so I think as much as it pains me, we have to stop, for now at least."_

"Oh I see, I'll find you soon Magnus, don't give up on me. I love you." Alec replied, unwilling to loose Magnus again but more than unwilling to deny Magnus the chance to heal himself.

"_I love you too Alec."_


End file.
